Nick Jonas Is 'Honored' to Play His Closeted, Often Shirtless Gay Character on Scream Queens

We'll wait for the kiss scene.

In case you didn't read our recap or have been avoiding spoilers, Nick Jonas’s new role in Scream Queens — which premiered last night — officially marks his second LGBTQ role in as many years, and for him, it’s nothing short of an honor. He told Entertainment Tonight “I’ve been so honored to get to play some really strong gay characters… and whatever I can do for the community is just a blessing to me.”

The first time Nick played a gay character was on the MMA fighting drama, Kingdom. Though the roles (and shows themselves) are very different, Nick draws a parallel between the two characters in their sexuality (and, uh, toplessness). When asked which of his roles required the most out of him in terms of acting, he said it was a tough call, but that Scream Queens probably pushed him to his limits the most.

It’s rare to see a popular, straight male actor playing an LGBTQ character, which is funny considering the endless phalanx of shows and films featuring lesbian and experimenting women — we're talking about everything from Samantha's lover on Sex and the City to Orange is the New Black to Pretty Little Liars — which have long been played by straight-identifying female actresses, though that is thankfully changing. Elle Fanning recently played a trans teen in About Ray — and opened up to us about the experience — and Transparentjust won big at the Emmys for telling the story of a later-in-life trans woman, played by Jeffrey Tambor.

But as gay characters become more and more of the status quo, it is important not only for straight actors to feel comfortable telling these stories, but to also cast LGBTQ actors and actresses in the roles. In 2014, Matt Bomer — who has three children with his husband Simon Hall — explained the importance of representation when he did press for The Normal Heart, saying "Even at 14 when I still didn’t know who I was when I read this piece — I was still figuring out who my most authentic self was — to have this voice that was such a firebrand and so honest and so authentic, to know that that reality was out there, even though it was nowhere near my immediate experience in suburban Texas, to know that somewhere it was out there gave me a sense of hope. And I think I knew on some level that a part of me that hadn’t been acknowledged yet was going to be OK."

Shows are slowly beginning to cast actors who align with their characters' orientations — Sophia and Boo on OITNB are notable examples, especially because Laverne Cox's twin brother plays Sophia in pre-transition flashbacks to better honor Laverne's identity — but there's still a long way to go for the community to be fully recognized. Even though part of Nick's casting on Scream Queens probably lies in the appeal of his big-name draw, show creator Ryan Murphy was likely wise enough to cast a wide net and audition actors of all sexual orientations for the role of frat brother Boone. Still, it's awesome that Nick is so supportive of the movement — in case you needed one more reason to be in love with him.